Unseen Heroes

There are a few people whom I’ve come across in schools that are seemingly unseen, but broadly impactful to our communities. Years ago, serving on an accreditation team—one of my first, if I recall—I had the opportunity to interview members of the facilities department. It was the my first meeting of the day, and it was early. I sat down at the table with my coffee and thanked them for taking the time to meet with me. Before we could even really begin, the man across from me sat stoically with his arms crossed and said, pointing at his chest, “I start the school. School begins with me every day.” The pride in his voice grounded his words. “I open the gates and doors before anyone else arrives to school in the morning.”

His declaration of purpose and impact in the community was clearly articulated in no more than three sentences, and somehow, someone ensured that he felt like he belonged. It was remarkable. Often times, the facilities and operations staff feel a disconnection and disrespect in the community. They feel under appreciated and forgotten, invisible. But this man, and his team, had purpose, place, and pride. It would go on to be a major moment in our report on the climate of the community. The head of school had created an ethos of gratitude, appreciation, and respect… and through this, faculty, staff, and students had an authentic agency and voice in the community.

For the past 18 years I’ve worked in an independent school. Over these years my work has involved countless vendors and consultants. They come after school, on the weekends, during school breaks, and in the dead of night. When the students and teachers return, miraculously the internet is everywhere, sound and music are available throughout the campus. There always seems to be magic elf involved. At our school, there are two such people who have come through and literally and physically changed the campus and made the lives of every member of the community better.

The first is our network cabling partner. Together with my team, we’ve run miles of fiber, copper, and installed dozens of wireless access points. I don’t know what i would do without him, but beyond all of the incredible work he’s done for the school, it’s his smile, his affable personality, and the fact that he always, always, picks up my calls on the first ring, with a joyful greeting, “Johnny! How’s it going?!”. His ability to not only get the job done, but to connect, relate, and make people feel comfortable is remarkable. But it’s unforced, authentic, and real. Our relationship stems a dozen years, and I would consider him an unseen hero of our school.

The second is our audio visual partner. Over the years, he has helped us facilitate dozens of events, musicals, dances, graduation ceremonies, and installed dozens of sound systems throughout the campus. Everyday, we hear the impact of his work at pickup in the afternoon as names are called out over the PA, and each year, our graduates walk the stage, sing, and give speeches as hundreds watch in person and from across the world. A miracle of wizardry, while his technical expertise is well regarded, it’s his ability to make you laugh, collaborate and solve the toughest problems with a smile and wry knowing glance. There is a human connection in our community that often goes unseen.

Without all of these people, our schools would literally come to halt. There is something about the unseen heroes of our schools that we must find a way to connect more broadly with the community. How can we create a culture of awareness and gratitude that connects these people to our students, parents, faculty, and staff? How can we ensure that we partner with “good people” as well as competent professionals?

This post is dedicated to an unseen hero and friend, Lafayette Hight, Jr.